Long before the tournaments, competition training, and hours on the mats, BJJ started with a pretty simple promise. I trained BJJ for a short time before Stephanie and I got married. Life happened, marriage, kids, business, and I stopped. But I always told myself that once the boys were old enough, we would come back and do it together as a family. As soon as Benson turned 4, we enrolled him and Wylie, who is 19 months older. Like most kids, the excitement eventually wore off. About six months in, they started making excuses not to go. It was getting harder, they were losing interest, and quitting would have been the easy option. But Stephanie and I couldn’t allow our boys to learn that losing interest or something becoming difficult was a good enough reason to quit. One thing we truly believe is that you can become good at almost anything if you consistently show up and are intentional with the time you commit to it. So BJJ became non-negotiable until they turned 18. That didn’t mean they had to become champions. They didn’t have to compete. They didn’t even have to pursue BJJ at the same level. What was their choice was how far they wanted to take it. We gave them three options: GOOD. GREAT. THE BEST For the first 3½ years, they chose good. And we were completely okay with that. They consistently showed up, learned, and built a foundation. Our job wasn’t to decide how great they needed to become. Our job was to teach them that when we commit to something, we don’t walk away simply because it’s no longer exciting or because it gets hard. Looking back, those early years were teaching them much more than Jiu-Jitsu. They were learning consistency. They were learning how to work through difficulty. And they were learning that you don’t have to be naturally gifted at something to become good at it. Keep showing up. Be intentional. Give it time. This video is a glimpse into those early days, long before any of us knew where this journey would eventually take them.

WYLIE BREAKDOWN #1 - Double Pull to Finish This is Wylie breaking down his first match from JJWL in August 2026. One thing we’ve seen develop in Wylie’s game is his comfort pulling guard. He’s always been a strong top player, so becoming more confident from guard has added another layer to his game. This match starts with a double pull, both players pull guard at the same time. From there, Wylie immediately comes up and gets on top for 2 points. What I like most is what happens next. He doesn’t hesitate or start searching for something new. He goes directly to one of the passes he trusts most: the over-under pass. Pay attention to a few details as Wylie explains it: • How he controls his opponent’s hips • Where he positions his head • How he circles around the leg rather than trying to force straight through it • How he recognizes the opening to transition into mount Once he gets to mount, he isolates the arm and attacks the armbar. When the armbar isn’t there, he doesn’t force it. He moves on. That’s something Wylie has gotten really good at, not becoming emotionally attached to a submission. The armbar creates the opportunity for the triangle. From there, he has multiple options: finish the triangle or continue controlling the arm and attack the armbar. There’s a bigger lesson we try to reinforce with both boys: Build your game around positions and techniques you trust, but don’t force them when the situation changes. Have a plan. Recognize the reaction. Move to the next option. Also, you'll sometimes see JJWL stop youth submissions before a clear tap. I’m completely okay with that. These are young athletes, and protecting them from unnecessary injury is more important than waiting until the absolute last second to call a submission.

A big part of Benson’s success has a lot to do with the kid standing across from him every day. His big brother, Wylie. Wylie is 11, naturally bigger and stronger than Benson, and because they train together so much, he has the ability to make almost every round difficult for him. But what makes their relationship special is that Wylie understands his role. We’ve had conversations about what each of the boys wants out of BJJ. Benson has made it clear that he wants to see how far he can take this. Wylie’s goals are different. Wylie has chosen to use a big part of his BJJ journey to help his little brother accomplish his. That means he doesn’t let Benson win. He doesn’t give him false confidence. He makes him work. He exposes holes in his game. He holds him accountable. And because Wylie is bigger and stronger, Benson gets to solve difficult problems every day before he ever steps onto a competition mat. There’s a lesson here that goes way beyond BJJ. Not everyone on a team or in a family needs the same goal to have an important role. Sometimes leadership means being the one standing on the podium. Sometimes leadership means using what God gave you to help someone else get there. For Wylie, right now, a big part of his role is being the big brother Benson needs. And I’m extremely proud of the young man he’s becoming. “Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.” — Philippians 2:4 NLT